Safety hook



June 2. 1925 I,540,030

R. MEsTARs SAFETY HOOK Original Filed Sept. 1, 1922 Film-mig- R QBERr/V'szs 774,28.

Patented June 2, .1925.

UNITED sTATEs PAri-:N'r oFi-"icizg` :ROBERT MnsTARs; or' Los ANGEL-Es, cALIroRNr, AssIGNon or ONE-HALE 'ro certain coN'rRERAs, or Lo's ANGELES, oALIronNI.

SAFETY HOOK.

Application filed September' 1,` 1922, Serial No. 585,640; Renewed April 13, `1925.

To ((ZZ 'zu/tom it may come/m: p i

Be it known that I, Roenn'r Mns'rARs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improveinents in Safety Hooks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to snap hooks,`and a purpose of my inventionis the provision of a snap hook which operates toV effect the connection of any two fiexible or rigid elements in such mannerras to prevent accidental disconnection of the elementsv while at the same time allo-win, I of the ready intentional disconnecton ofthe elements.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of snap hook embodying' my invention and will point out the 'novel features thereof in claims, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, w

Figure 1 is a view showing in top plan one form of vsnap hook einbodying my invention in eonnecting position with respect to two lengths of cham;l

i Fignre 2 is a view similar to Figure 1,

showing the snap hook in side lelevation;

Figure 3 is a view similar to F igure 2,

showing one of the 'ends of one of the chains in opening position with lrespect to the closure lever of the snap hook;

F igure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, .showinglthe same chain end elevated and the manner in which it engages the lever to' prevent displacement of the chain; I

Figure 5 is a vlongitudinal sectional view of the snap hook shown inthe preceding views; i o p Figure 6 isan end elevation of the snap hook shown in the preceding Views.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the several views.

l'eferring specifically to the drawings, my inrention, in its present embodiment, comprises a body portion `designated generally at B, which is formed from a single Sheet of relatively heavy metal or other suitable material stamped or cast to provide terminal hooks 15 and larrangedatthe four 'corners of the sheet. This sheet is bent longitudinally along the medial line and upon itself to dispose the hooks 15 and 1'6` in reversed relation to each other and in pairs, with the hooks of each pair disposed side by side but in spaced relation to each'other. Intermediate the ends of the body B the sheet is formed with ears or projections 17 which, ,in the bent position of the Sheet, are

disposed one'beside the other but in spaced relation to each other.V Extending through these ears or projectionsl' is a pivot pin 18, and pivotally mounted. upon this pin between the ears is a closure lever designated generall'y atL. y i

The lever L isof such a` width as to work freely between the'side-portions of; the body B, and this lever is shown as composed of an intermediate portion 19 'at one end of which is formed a hook portion 20, while at the opposite endV a curved portion 21 is formed and in depending relation Vto the 'intermediate portion 19. Thscurved portion 21 is constructed to provide auhooked portion 22 which is adapted to coact with the hooks 15 in confining a link ,or`v other element within the 'hooks 15. The bill .of the hook 20 ;is reversely disposed with respect to the bills of the hookslGso-that in the normal position of the lever, the hook 20 is disposed between the hooks 16 andin registering position with respect to the latter to confine a link or other element between the level' and body. l i w' V i The lever L is normally urged'to the posietion shown in Figures 2 and ,5 by means of .a leaf spring 23 which, as clearly shown in Figure 5, is jourved to lie contiguous to the periphery of the curved portionl, with one opposite end of the spring isbent as indi- .cated at. 2580 as to engage withina'suitablc end'bent asindicated at 24 to engage within ,a sultablerecessm the curved portion. i The iting the upwardor outward movem'ent of i the lever L' a projection 26 is formed on the lever so as to engage the bill of one of the hooks 15 whenthe'leveris' elevated.l The arrangement of the projection 26 is such that with the levei' in elevated position the hook 22 still serves to close the space between the hooks 15 and the ears 17 to prevent removal of the link engaging the .hooks 15,

In practice, the snap hook is adapted to be employed in any capacity depending upon the particular size of the snap hook;

as, for instance, itmay be einployed in conto any particular use of the snap hook. In the present disclosure, I have shown' the snapl hook as conneeting the ends of a nonskid. chain, one end being indicated at 27 and the other end at 28. In the application of the link 27 to the snap hook to engage the hooks 15, it is only necessaryto force the link downwardly against the hook 22, thereby swing'ing the lever L upwardly against the tension of the spring 23, so as to cause the hook 22 to move downwardly untilv the link passes into engagement with the hooks 15. As soon as thelink has disengaged the hook 22, it will be clear that the spring 23 operates to return the lever to the normal position shown in Figure`2. f

To apply the link 28,,the link is placed at the junctionof the hooksv 16 and v20, as shown in Figure 8, andl by foreing the link .forwar'dly in 'the direction of the hooks it will be lclear that by virtue of the curved surfaces of the hooks the lever will be elevated until the link slips between the hooks and into engagement with the bills of the hooks 16, when'the spring operates to return the leverto normal position, thereby causing the hook to cooperate with the hooks 16 inV preventing Vdisplacement of the link from the snap hook. Should the link 28 be elevated with respect to thesnap hook, as illustrated in Figure 4, it will be manifest that the link will not become disengaged from the snap hook but will maintain an engagement with the hook 20, thus preventing disconnection of the snap hook from the link. The hooks 16 and 20 'cooperate to provide what may be termeda permanent connection, in that after a link has been once appliedit should remain in such applied position. The hooks 15, however, provide a temporary connection for' a link or other element, because the dis'engagement of the link from the' hooks is comparatively easy. In order tol disengage the link 27 from thehooks 15, it isvonly necessary to elevate the lever to a position in which the hook 22 is spa-ced from' the ends ,of the hooksV 15 suificiently `to allow the passage of the link when the latter may be removed .from the hooks.

'I claiin as my invention:

1. A snap hook comprising'a body Vhaving hooks formed thereon, and a lever'pivotally associated with the body Vand having` lname to this specification. the hooks of the body and lever being such that an element can be applied to engage hooks formed thereon, the arrangement of eertainof the hooks by movingr the element transversely of the body, while another element canV be applied to engage the remaining hool's'by moving the element longitudinally of the body.

2. A snap hook eomprising a body having reversely disposed hooks formed thereon, extensions on the body between the hooks, a lever pivoted on the body between the extensions and including a hook at one end of the lever adapted to eooperate with one of the body hooks toform a closed loop, and a hook on the other .end of the lever adapted to cooperate with the other body hook to form a closedloop, means for normally urging the'lever to a position in whichits hooks cooperate with the body hooks, and a stop formed'on the lever and adapted to. engage one of the body hooks for limiting' the outward, swinging movementfof the lever.`

A snap hook comprising a body, a lever pivoted on the body to occupy two extreme positions and an intermediate position, hooks formedon the body and lever,

Vmeans .for normally u'rging'the lever to one extreme position in which the hooksrof the `lever cooperate with the hooks of the body to form closed loops, and a stop for defining the other :extreme lposition of the lever in which an element is maintained in en- `gagement with one of the lever hooks while the other lever hook is maintained in loop formation with respect-'to the corresponding body'hook, and the lever in the intermediate position being so ,arranged that the second mentioned lever hook permits withdrawal of an element fromthe loop formed by said hook and the eorresponding body hook. i i' Li. 'A'snap hook comprising a body formed withv hooks which are reversely disposed, 'and a lever'pivotally sustained on the body between' the hooks and having hooks cooperating with the lbodyshooks .to form closed iloops, the hooks on the lever extending from 'the 'same edge of the llever and in the same idirection'. W

5. A snap hook co'niprising a body formed with hooks which are reversely disposed, and. a lever pivotally sustained on the body betweenv the'hooksfiand having hooks cooperating with the body vhooks to formelosed loops, the hooks on the lever extending from the samje edge of the lever and in the same direetion, andvmeans for positively urging` the'lever to aposition in which the hooks thereo'f cooperate with the body hooks.

In testiinony 'whereof I have signed my noB'r. MESTARS. 

